We understand that our faith formation (our growing in the likeness of Christ) is rooted in our baptism and done with the empowerment and guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is important for us to “know God” (have experiences of God and inner knowledge of the God who resides within us) and to “know about God” (to bring in biblical scholarship, historical context of the scriptures, theology, and the history of the development of Christian thought) into our life-long process of growing in our faith.
Some of the ways we travel this journey of faith formation at St. Andrew’s are as follows:
Adult Spirituality & Formation in Our Faith
Discovery Hour –– Each Sunday from 9-9:45 a.m. (between services) for enlightening discussions and group formation. We are beginning a series discussing and exploring baptism this coming Sunday and throughout Lent.
Exploration of Your Spirituality Type – As a parish, we entered into a discernment process of our particular spirituality type during a sermon series. To watch the sermons to gain a glimpse into the natural way you communicate with God, please click on the drop down area in the menu.
Spiritual Conversation with Mother Barbara. Our priest, Mother Barbara is a trained Spiritual Director (which does not mean she directs your spiritual life, but is more like a coach or trusted companion to open up doors of exploration.) To make an appointment to meet with her for confidential and sacred conversations, please email her. And to have pastoral or spiritual conversations with Mother Ginger or Deacon Brian, please reach out directly to them.
Quiet Garden Encounters — We are offered the opportunity to connect with God through nature, and particularly by an experience in our Grace Place Garden. These are times where through prayer, scripture, simply body movements, exploration in the garden, a hands-on artistic activity, we settle into a spirituality topic in close community and in communion with God and one another.
Wednesday Evening Gatherings – Once a month (third Wednesday of each month), people are invited to come to Mother Barbara’s home for a shared meal, a time of meaningful conversation, and the sharing of Holy Eucharist. If you are interested in this offering, please reach out to Mother Barbara.
Seasonal Materials. As we journey through the liturgical seasons of the Church year, often we provide materials to deepen your journey. These can either be mailed to you or you can pick them up in church.
Weekly E-newletter. Mother Barbara provides spiritual resources in her weekly e-newsletter, so please sign up to receive this every week so you can grow in your faith.
Small Group Gatherings. Very often, people are gathered together in small groups to explore their faith, be in community, and learn to sit with the questions in their heart about the place of God in their lives.
Sermons. Our clergy preach each week, opening up the scriptures in ways that can enliven the message to you and help you see how this fits within our lives. You may always view the sermons through our Facebook page (as the church worship videos remain there) or ask Mother Barbara to send you a video link or written manuscript. Also, Mother Barbara puts the text of her sermons on the St. Andrew’s Facebook page each Saturday evening.
Engagement in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. We believe the real presence of Christ is made real in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Whatever that means to you, or however you interpret this experience, we know that something happens. And that’s good enough for us! Something changes within us each time we participate in the sacrament as we are transformed into the likeness of Christ. This is one of the most direct ways for us to set
Children & Youth Spirituality & Formation in Our Faith
We believe that at baptism, which often does happen in the early month’s of someone’s life, that they become a full member of our church. This means, as soon as they are physically ready, they are encouraged to receive the nourishment and sense of community which the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist offers. Their tiny souls are empowered, equipped, and set free to explore the fullness of the grace of Christ made real in their lives by love.
We want to offer full experiences of spirituality and form our young people in their faith well — and to find a place of connection to the busy lives most families live. Right now, here’s our plan:
Cookie Church — worship and formation designed for our young ones, where they will experience in concrete and tangible ways experiences which teach them about the seasons of the church year, the major feast days, the stories of the Good News of Jesus, and develop their spirituality. Typically we meet once a month – and follow with cookies, of course!
Exploration of Sunday School alternative. During this season of Lent, we are offering Godly Play, beginning at 9:05 a.m. each Sunday in the children’s room by Deacon Brian. This is an opportunity for the children to engage with the scriptures, learn the stories, and then wonder about where they fit into the larger biblical narrative.
Children’s Sermons. Each Sunday, we offer Children’s sermons to open up for them the scripture lessons. These can be engaging, interactive, and “fun” times when the children can learn about the love of God released into the world through Jesus. We are offering Godly Play during Lent to see how this works well with children.
Active Participation in the Worship Service. Not only are children all welcome at the altar rail to receive communion, they are invited to participate in the leading of worship in all ways which are appropriate to their interest and abilities. For instance, we have a young person who is a Junior Verger and who participates in setting and clearing the altar, distributing the consecrated bread and assisting the priest behind the altar. It’s a gift and joy to serve with someone so dedicated and committed to worship and sharing the gift of Christ with others. Other roles include Gospel Book Bearer, Acolyte, Crucifer, and Lector. There is deep spirituality in our parish, often found most visible in the presence of our young people.
Mailings. During COVID, we began reaching families in ways that would work for them while we were isolated and unable to worship in person. We began an extensive program of mailing spiritual and formational materials to many families, in the hope that they would know how important they are to the parish and to share these materials with their children as it best suited their family life. We continue to provide materials designed with our children in mind and have them available to our families.
There is no limit to the number of ways we can be formed in our faith. God is a creative, imaginative, and ever-loving God. If there are resources that you are looking for to deepen your relationship with God — or if you don’t know what you need but just that you need something — please speak to Mother Barbara and she will guide you. This is the best journey of a life-time!